Developing a course using eNOVA requires time and careful thought. Following best practices in the areas below can help you to develop an effective course:

• Course Plan
• Characteristics of Effective eNOVA Course
• Best Practices for Being a Leader
• Before Beginning an eNOVA Event

Course Plan

A course using eNOVA begins with a course plan with clearly defined goals and objectives. The NOVA Course Content Summaries can be used to help you to develop your goals and objectives. For assistance with the instructional design of your course using eNOVA, contact the Director of the Extended Learning Institute at Jennifer Lerner.

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Characteristics of Effective eNOVA Course

An eNOVA course designed for success has the following characteristics:

1. Establishes learning environment

2. Includes an introduction activity

3. Has clearly stated course goals and objectives

4. Has clearly stated course policies and procedures that include:

• Getting Started
• Technology Orientation
• Attendance Policy
• Netiquette Statement

5. Designs a variety of online learning activities that are synchronous and asynchronous. The real-time, synchronous, eNOVA online learning activities and non-real-time, asynchronous, online learning activities are integrated to complete a learning loop.

6. Meets the requirements of Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering)

• Good Practice Encourages Contacts Between Students and Faculty.
  Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of class is a most important factor in student motivation and involvement.
• Good Practice Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students.
  Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one’s ideas and responding to others’ improves thinking and deepens understanding.
• Good Practice Uses Active Learning Techniques.
  Students must talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves.
• Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback.
  Knowing what you know and don’t know focuses your learning. In getting started, students need help in assessing their existing knowledge and competence. Then, in classes, students need frequent opportunities to perform and receive feedback on their performance. At various points during college, and at its end, students need chances to reflect on what they have learned, what they still need to know, and how they might assess themselves.
• Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task.
  Time plus energy equals learning. Learning to use one’s time well is critical for students and professionals alike. Allocating realistic amounts of time means effective learning for students and effective teaching for faculty.
• Good Practice Communicates High Expectations.
  Expect more and you will get it. High expectations are important for everyone. Expecting students to perform well becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
• Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning.
  Different students bring different talents and styles to college. Students need opportunities to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them. Then they can be pushed to learn in new ways that do not come so easily.

An additional resource is by Chickering and Ehrmann titled “Implementing The Seven Principles: Technology as Lever.”

7. Designs assessment into the course.

8. Includes means for student support and time for technology use orientation. Students are directed to the eNOVA website for student support.

9. Plans carefully and implements the accompanying website that houses the course materials and any discussion forums.

10. Engages students in learning through interactivity.

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Best Practices for Being a Leader

1. Practice with the session content.

2. If working with a co-presenter, decide who is doing what.

3. Speak clearly and use animation in your voice.

4. Use the Lock to Talk button when speaking for a long time.

5. Provide frequent and varied interactions. Vary tool usage.

6. Encourage participant response.

7. Give explicit directions to participants.

8. Ask for frequent feedback.

9. Remember to clear Yes, No and Raised Hands.

10. Remind participants to hold down the Ctrl key.

11. Remind participants that running other applications while in session can slow down the session.

12. Ask participants to use Private Text Chat if they experience technical problems.

13. If a participant is experiencing a technical problem, suggest closing the session and then rejoining it.

14. Remind participants to click Step Out to temporarily leave the session.

15. Keep total session duration from one to one and a half hours, if possible.

16. Practice!

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Before Beginning an eNOVA Event

Keep these tips in mind:

• Find a comfortable, quiet place to deliver the session.
• Set up the area with a script, notes, water and a clock.
• Launch any applications to share.
• Create surveys.
• Check the addresses of websites you plan to launch in Web Safari.
• Run the Audio Wizard (and Video Wizard, if applicable).
• Speak briefly with each participant. Make sure participants can hear you and each other clearly.

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